President Trump

In less than 24 hours, the United States will have a new President at the helm of what is considered one of the world’s greatest super powers. You may have voted for him. You may have protested against him.

Regardless, tomorrow at 12:00 Noon EST, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America.

Whether you’re a Christian who is glad he will be in power or a Christian who is upset for the same reason, I hope to leave you with some truth: Trump will be President tomorrow, but Yahweh is LORD TODAY and ALWAYS.

That said, here are some things to consider:

Our work is not done: For those of us who disagree with Trump on many of his policies, our work is far from over. We know we can not make our country a utopia. The only paradise we will ever see is Heaven. However, we can work together to make sure civil rights are not violated. We can stand together to protect the weak, the poor, the needy, and the disenfranchised, just as Jesus Christ himself did. We may disagree with our brothers and sisters in the faith about government policies, but all of our hearts should mimic that of Christ’s, a heart that sought after the hearts of those ignored by society. (And if you are one of the many being targeted by the Trump administration, know that there are REAL brothers and sisters in the faith fighting for you as you read this. You are not alone).

Trump needs our prayers: This is the Glass House Gospel, right? Look, I’d honestly rather throw a rock at him than pray for him right now, but Matthew 5:44 clearly says to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you“. As opposed as I am to him becoming our President, the Word of God is more important than my opinions. Just as we would pray for a bad boss or a bad friend, we need to pray for a potentially bad president. We need to keep our nation in prayer as well. Whatever God wishes to do through allowing him to be President, we need to pray that His will is done. Also, pray for your own heart (and mine as well). We can’t allow our displeasure to turn into hate and bitterness. That is a seed whose roots grow too deeply within the soul.

There is no such thing as “God’s Political Party”: Let me get this one out-of-the-way quickly; The GOP is not the “party of God”. Sure, a lot of people in that party claim God, but considering their behavior within the past eight years, I’d venture to say most of them don’t actually know Him. The truth is neither the Republicans nor the Democrats accurately paint a picture of what it means to follow Christ. I’d also like to add that democrats are not of the devil (and neither are republicans). If you honestly think that, the only thing of the devil is that belief in your heart.

One is greater than one hundred: We may not be able to get laws overturned overnight, but if you can help one person greatly, it will mean more than minimally helping a hundred. For instance, if you’re passionate about banning abortion, you could stand outside of a Planned Parenthood with a sign (and impact no one) or you could look for ways to help pregnant women and help them reject an abortion (and actually make a difference). Many times, Christians are flagged as being “all talk and no action”. James 1:22 agrees when it says “but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves“. May we be Christians of action this year, especially during the Trump administration.

After the election, John Piper tweeted a verse from the Bible. It was Hosea 13:11 and it read “I gave you a king in my anger”. Originally, I was going to end my point there, but after reading all the responses John Piper received to this tweet, I feel something needs to be said.

For those Christians who support Trump (and by support, I don’t mean a kind of “well he is president so I guess I’ll support him” support. I mean the “I’m thrilled to have this man as president” kind of support), let me say one thing: do not let power blind your eyes to the Gospel. Many Christians chose power over people in this election. What I mean is, they said loudly and boldly “I would rather have a man who goes against everything my Lord believes in as President than a democrat”. They chose a political party over Jesus.

Do not be so blinded by your zeal to “repeal Obamacare” that you can not see the plea of the millions who will be without health insurance because of said repeal. Do not be so hardened by your belief that “trickle down” and “lower taxes” work that you would pull funds away from Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and many other programs just to save a few bucks. Do not listen to the rumors of the “lazy poor” and shouts of “they want handouts” so much that you become deaf to the children going to sleep hungry because their parents’ food stamps were cut and their jobs pays them a poverty wage.

Do not live a life that would cause Jesus Christ to say to you “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness“. Do not just be hearers of the word and not doers. Do not deceive yourself.

Published by christinaxarteaga

Christina Arteaga (who sometimes goes by Christina Chanel) is, quite simply, a grace addict. Everything else in her life stems from her love of Jesus Christ. She is a wife, a mother, an artist, and a writer, but most importantly, she is a child of a God and a worshipper of Jesus Christ.
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